Pedagogy
The first pedagogy I thought of using was direct instruction. The reason is my students are familiar with this method. When students are learning a musical instrument immediate feedback is important. Students need to know that certain fingerings produce different pitches. I need to be there to help them produce the correct tone quality and pitch. The problem with direct instruction is I am not there all the time and I do not have the time to assess and teach over one hundred students.
Another technique that I have considered is gamifying my class, which is based upon B.F. Skinner’s ideas (Skinner, 2014). Each time a child reaches a certain goal he is rewarded. This will assist in motivating the students to continue their successful performances. I did not want to focus my entire class on this idea because of the time factor issue. I decided to use part of this philosophy as the solution, but it wasn’t complete.
Another theory I think is essential is practicing pitch and finger position requires much practice. SmartMusic will allow you to practice the same song again and again, until it is done correctly. It also gives you a percentage score each time you perform a song. 100% is a perfect score. If you earn anything less than 100%, you have made a mistake(s) in rhythm, pitch, or had a problem keeping a steady beat. As Willingham states (Willingham, 2009) “It is virtually impossible to become proficient at a mental task without extended practice.” (p. 107). This is only part of the solution because students could be practicing with poor tone quality.
I think the best pedagogical approach is blended learning. I could teach rhythm, pitch, and keeping a steady beat in class. It will also be taught and reinforced online using Smartmusic software. Students will also submit assignments online. They will be able to self assess themselves at home. The combination of gamification, lots of practice, blended learning will make for a perfect classroom format.